At the start of 2020, we welcomed new teachers and coaches to our sports department.
Mr Duncan Gundersen our new Director of Sport, arrived from St Kentigern College where he was the Head of Department of Health and Physical Education. He studied his teaching qualification at the University of Waikato and later completed his postgraduate and masters qualifications at Massey University.
Originally from Putaruru in the South Waikato, Mr Gundersen has a passion for athletics, squash, touch rugby, rugby union and league.
Mr Matthew Rees-Gibbs is a familiar face to St Paul’s as coach of the 1st XI Boys’ Hockey team for the past few years. He holds a Bachelor of Sport and Leisure Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching from the University of Waikato. His previous teaching experience includes placements at Fairfield College and St Paul’s.
Outside of teaching, Mr Rees-Gibbs is a talented hockey player, having played for the Black Sticks in 2015-16 and 2019. He has an interest in cricket, athletics, golf and football.
Mr Craig Peebles joins the St Paul’s staff as Director of Rowing. Mr Peebles has been living in the United Kingdom and working as a physical education teacher at Chigwell School in Essex while completing his teacher training.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Mr Peebles worked as Assistant Director of Sport and Master in Charge of Rowing at Peterhouse Boys’ School. During that time, he coached Zimbabwean crews at four junior world championships. Craig also has an interest in rugby and was the coach of Peterhouse’s 1st XV rugby team and a boarding housemaster.
Mrs Lynaire Williams is a PE teacher who gained her Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Sport and Leisure Studies at the University of Waikato and has taught at Western Heights High School (2012-2013) and Hamilton Girls’ High School (2014-2019). At HGHS she was a dean of 350 girls in Edgecumbe House and assistant head of their PE Department.
At HGHS Mrs Williams was the premier netball coach from 2014-2018 and in 2018 this team finished fifth position in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship. She was also a finalist for Waikato Bay of Plenty Coach of the Year in 2019. An active sevens rugby player, she managed the HGHS side in 2016-17 and joins as St Paul’s new Director of Netball and as a relief teacher.
Mr Kale Herbert gained representative football honours playing in Auckland and Wellington and has held head coaching positions for Taupo Men’s Football team, the Hamilton Wanderers Men’s Northern Premier League side and the Wanderers U19 national tournament team.
He is currently completing his Football B Licence and joins us as our Director of Football, and will also coach the 1st XI.
Mr Lincoln Churchill is a trained PE teacher who has had a successful hockey playing and coaching career. He was the Development Officer of Bethlehem College hockey from 2008-2015 and the director of their hockey programme from 2016-2019. He was also a high performance coach for Midlands Hockey from 2008-2018 and an analyst for the Black Sticks men’s team from 2017-2018.
Mr Churchill gained his Bachelor of Education at Canterbury University and his Diploma of Teaching at Christchurch College of Education and joins us as Director of Hockey.
